Evolution Exchange Excitement! (Japanese: 通信交換進化！シュバルゴとアギルダー！！Trade Evolution! Chevargo and Agilder!!) is the 63rd episode of the Best Wishes series, and the 720th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on January 19, 2012 and in the United States on May 26, 2012.

Contents

Blurb

Now that our heroes and Bianca have returned with Professor Juniper to her base camp in Chargestone Cave, their planned Pokémon trade begins. They first decide to have a battle between Shelmet and Karrablast in order to collect pre-Evolution data. But before they begin, strange electrical readings begin to affect their equipment, causing it to malfunction and putting the battle on hold.

Going deeper into the cave, they discover a distressed Klinklang, who has somehow gotten a pen lodged in its gears! Professor Juniper manages to soothe Klinklang enough to remove the pen, returning it to normal and stopping its electrical discharge. Finally, it’s time for the exchange—Bianca trades her Shelmet for Professor Juniper’s Karrablast, and when both Pokémon evolve as the result of the trade, Professor Juniper has a new Accelgor, and Bianca ends up with a rather surly Escavalier!

The professor suggests having a Tag Battle with their new Pokémon, and she and Bianca team up against Ash and Cilan. It’s a fierce back-and-forth competition, but in the end, Ash’s Boldore and Cilan’s Crustle emerge victorious! At first Bianca is disappointed with their loss, but Professor Juniper explains that the Tag Battle was intended to help Bianca and Escavalier learn to trust each other. Bianca happily thanks her and bids them all a speedy farewell.

Suddenly, out of the cave staggers none other than Professor Juniper’s father, Cedric, who collapses in front of them...

Plot

Ash, his friends and Professor Juniper head towards the base camp where they will trade. Professor Juniper shows them the trading machine and tells Bianca that she wants to have a Pokémon battle to gather data on Karrablast and Shelmet first. Ash scans Karrablast and Shelmet with his Pokédex. Axew goes up to Shelmet and makes a scary face which scares the Shelmet, Iris tells Axew to not scare Shelmet and then apologizes to Shelmet for scaring it. Bianca commands Shelmet to use Acid, but Shelmet is too scared of Karrablast to move, to which Bianca explains that her Shelmet is very shy. Professor Juniper has Karrablast use Peck on Shelmet, while Bianca has Shelmet use Protect to block it and Peck does not break through. Karrablast uses Take Down while Shelmet uses Protect again which blocks the attack once again. Shelmet finally appears from its shell and is ready to battle. All of a sudden the machine that is recording the data of the battle malfunctions and they have to stop the battle.

Everyone leaves to check on the trading machine, but it is malfunctioning as well. Bianca does not take the news very well and panics. Everyone tells her that they will solve the problem to fix the machine. They decide that they should check what is going on inside of the Chargestone Cave. Everyone heads inside of the Chargestone Cave, while Professor Juniper's assistant uses an electricity recording machine to check where the levels are too high or to low. Ash scans some wild Klink with his Pokédex, while the assistant explains that they are not the cause of the disturbance. At a dead end in the cave, they run into a Klinklang which appears to be in distress and is giving off excessive amounts of electricity. Ash scans Klinklang with his Pokédex, and then an electric beam almost hits Ash. Professor Juniper brings out a sound-making device that she uses to calm the Klinklang down. Professor Juniper explains that the Klink and Klinklang really like the sound it makes, she walks up to the Klinklang and removes a pen from one of its gears that it was stuck in. Klinklang starts acting normally again, and the electricity is no longer causing a disturbance in the cave.

Everyone heads back to the trading machine. Bianca brings out Shelmet and tells it that it will be a good and strong Pokémon for Professor Juniper. They begin the trade with Karrablast and Shelmet. Professor Juniper tells Bianca that they want to collect and record data of the evolution and a battle between them. Ash scans Accelgor and Escavalier when they are brought out and evolve. Escavalier doesn't look pleased with its new Trainer and begins to chase Bianca around. Professor Juniper has Accelgor use Substitute so that Bianca can recall Escavalier to its Poké Ball while its back is turned. Bianca says that she is worried about whether she can handle Escavalier. Professor Juniper explains that Escavalier retained its aggressive battle spirit along with Shelmet's shell. Professor Juniper suggests that they have a Double Battle with Professor Juniper and Bianca facing Cilan and Ash. Crustle and Boldore are brought out to battle Accelgor and Escavalier. Escavalier glares back at Bianca prior to the battle starting which scares Bianca. Boldore uses Rock Smash on Escavalier and Accelgor followed by Crustle using X-Scissor on Accelgor which misses. Accelgor hits Crustle with Quick Attack. Bianca tries to command Escavalier, but it does what it wants instead. Everyone thought it was Bianca who was commanding Escavalier to attack. Cilan and Ash decide to have their Pokémon go after Escavalier and land a few hits. Accelgor uses Substitute to protect Escavalier. Escavalier finally calms down, but Accelgor has taken heavy damage from using Substitute. Accelgor uses Recover to regain its strength while Escavalier blocks Flash Cannon and Rock Slide with its Iron Defense. Accelgor and Escavalier land attacks to injure Crustle and Boldore. While they are down, Accelgor and Escavalier both use Hyper Beam which knocks out Boldore. Cilan has Crustle use Shell Smash and two Rock Wreckers to knock out Accelgor and Escavalier.

Bianca was finally able to command Escavalier. Professor Juniper's assistant tells them that all of the data they needed was recorded. Everyone hears something coming from the Chargestone Cave, and Cedric Juniper stumbles out and collapses. Professor Juniper recognizes him as her father.

Trivia

This is the third episode in a row to feature an evolution of a main or recurring character's Pokémon, with Ash's Roggenrola and Cilan's Dwebble evolving in the previous two episodes. It is also the second episode in a row to feature an evolution of a main or recurring character's Bug-type Pokémon, after Cilan's Crustle.

Errors

When Iris is taking Axew away from Shelmet, who has been scared by him, while disturbing them in the battle, Bianca duplicated herself, and Shelmet's face is invisible for a few frames, while only its eye can be seen.

Right before Professor Juniper recalls Karrablast to its Poké Ball for the trade, the light blue triangle on its forehead is colored gray like its face.

It is known that when Karrablast and Shelmet are traded, Shelmet's shell is attached to Karrablast. Instead, in the episode, Shelmet evolves normally, then Karrablast does the same, both at least several minutes after the trade.

Bianca's stockings are mis-colored peach (the same shade as her skin) immediately before she trades Shelmet for Karrablast.

When Professor Juniper orders Accelgor to use Substitute on Escavalier, Escavalier's pupil is colored as if it were still in light when it should be darker due to the shadow of its eye.

The shot of Escavalier blocking Boldore's Flash Cannon briefly leaves a black border on the top side of the screen. The same error is featured again when Escavalier blocked its attack.

In the UK dub, the title card read The Excitement of Exchange Evolution!, though Ash still read it as Evolution Exchange Excitement!. This was fixed in later airings.